Part of the USGS Glacier Studies Project, which is using satellite imagery to document changes to glacier extent over the entire planet, the new study has, for the first time, demonstrated that every ice front in the southern part of the Antarctic Peninsula has been retreating overall since 1947, with the most dramatic changes having taken place since 1990. Retreat in these southern areas is of particular interest because temperatures there are the coolest on the peninsula, suggesting that ice loss may be even greater in other areas.

The loss of the ice shelves has potential consequences for sea-level rise, as they are holding in place the ice sheet that covers 98 per cent of the Antarctic continent. As the shelves disintegrate, the outlet glaciers and ice streams flowing off the continent will begin to flow more rapidly, adding significant amounts of water to the oceans.

The new research adds to a previous USGS study that demonstrated that the majority of ice fronts on the Antarctic Peninsula have retreated during the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

April 2010